2 Minute Briefing - A New Piracy Threat in West Africa

In recent years, thanks to a combined international effort by multiple nations navies, the threat to global shipping caused by piracy in the Arabian Gulf, perpetrated by predominantly Somali based pirates, has all but been eradicated. However a new and even more rampant threat to shipping has emerged on the other side of the continent in the Gulf of Guinea.

According to the International Martine Bureau (IMB) piracy in the gulf was responsible for 90% of all kidnappings at sea in 2019. This is a trend that has continued into 2020 with 47 reported kidnappings at sea occurring in the first quarter. This is an increase from 38 over the same period the previous year. The majority of these attacks in 2019 where limited to Nigerian waters however political risk consultancy firm Verisk Maplecroft, have predicted that this is likely to spread through the gulf by 2021. Given that there are 8 oil exporting countries surrounding the gulf an increase in piracy seems likely.

Whilst pirates operating in the region lack the safe havens that their Somali counterparts were able to utilise in the early to mid 2000's, the geography of the coast line, with its many uncharted waterways and disputed national boundaries, mean it is difficult to combat this threat effectively. There is also a slimmer chance of an international intervention in the gulf as we have seen in the Arabian Gulf as many international shipping routes avoid the Gulf of Guinea.

Piracy in this region is not a new phenomena however due to the low global price of crude at the moment their strategy has changed. Traditionally piracy tactics in this region, especially around the Nigerian Delta, has been to target oil tankers in order to sell their cargo on the black market. However as the price of oil has dropped there has been a shift towards hostage taking instead. In fact the risk posed by piracy has become so great that in June 2019 India issued a restriction banning all Indian seafarers from operating in the Gulf of Guinea. India's Directorate General of Shipping said that, "foreign nationals, especially Indian seafarers, are being selectively targeted during such piracy/armed robbery incidents".

There is no question that a solution to this threat is essential if these oil exporting nations are going to be able to successfully develop and expand their oil and gas industries. As there is currently no sign of an international response like the world soar of the coast of East Africa it looks like the solution will need to be a domestic one carried out by the states from which these pirate operate.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in our articles are those of our analysts and not necessarily those of RoseMarie Ltd.